Seminar

ESAB--A Platform for Young Talents

Fauzia Sultana

If there is Stone Age, Ice Age in history, it wouldn't be a surprise if one called this decade the Smartphone Age. iPhone, Android phone, BlackBerry--these phones have (sweetly)invaded all aspects of our lives. But what makes these smartphones actually 'smart'? The operating system that allows smartphones to run applications is what makes them smart and distinct. Although the fever initiated with iPhones, Android phones and many others have made their places in the hearts of their users.

With over 190 million Android devices in use, it is definite that the Android operating system (OS) is as popular as its contemporaries, Windows and iOS. An OS developed by Google that is mostly used for mobile phones, the specialty of Android OS is that since it is an open source platform, its features can always be enhanced from every corner of the world.

COURTESY: ESAB

Realising the hype created by this OS through its rapid development all over the world, Engineering Students Association of Bangladesh (ESAB) organised a seminar titled, “Introductory Seminar on ANDROID platform: perspective and application Development” on October 25, 2011 at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, BUET. Sponsored by Samsung Bangladesh Research and Development Centre, the seminar was organised by ESAB to introduce the ANDROID system to undergraduate students. Students from the Departments of Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering of different universities participated in the seminar.

ESAB, an organisation formed by the undergraduate students from engineering universities all over the nation, started out with the aim to provide a platform for the students of engineering to promote their ideas. By organising seminars and workshops, the members of this association aim to acknowledge students with the technological advancements in the world.

On asking the reason behind arranging a seminar on Android OS, Safwath Abedin, Assistant General Secretary, ESAB shares, “After iOS, Android OS is the next big thing. Our defence ministry recently applied the Android platform to collect weather data for disaster management. Besides, this platform is used in many other sectors including health. This surely opens opportunities for undergrad students for research and also creates the scope to portray their ideas.”

Studying in the Departmnet of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, BUET, Safwath also shares that since Android OS is an open source platform, it is easy to integrate new features, unlike the other OSs. “Our students have a lot of innovative ideas; but because of the lack of a proper platform, their ideas aren't brought to light,” he adds.

Currently, ESAB has members who are students from the different engineering departments of universities including American International University Bangladesh, BRAC University, BUET, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), CUET, KUET. Interested students can become a member of ESAB through a simple online registration and be a part of this association.

The fact that ESAB aims to promote young talents and make Bangladesh a technologically sound nation is commendable. Kudos to ESAB!